Sing a New Psalm:
Communicating with God
Through the Prayers of the Church
Volume I: Lauds & Vespers
Lesson 1 Set a Guard on My Mouth
Psalm 119:105–112, Psalm 141, and Psalm 142
Sunday 1st Vespers (Week I)
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
Tami Palladino’s visual-meditation journal
next lesson: O God, at Dawn I Seek You
This material coordinates with Lesson 1, “Set a Guard on My Mouth,” on pages 8–11 in Sing a New 
Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. Our Catholic Bible study is based on The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, a psalms translation prepared by the monks at Conception Abbey in 2010 and first published as The Revised Grail Psalms. The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is a revision of that work, finished in 2020 and now owned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Wording and numbering of some psalms in other translations may differ. This translation is being added to all English-language Liturgy of the Hours books used in the United States.
“Unlike other prayers in sacred Scripture, the prayers contained in the psalms are not inserted into a narrative story that specifies their meaning and function. Instead, the psalms are given to the believer precisely as a text of prayer. Since they are the Word of God, the believer who prays the psalms speaks to God using the very words that God himself has given to us. Thus, in praying the psalms we learn to pray. The psalms are a school of prayer.”—Pope Benedict XVI
welcome to our in-depth study of the psalms
We invite groups and individuals to check out the sample Introduction and Lesson 1 from this 28-
lesson Turning to 
God’s Word Catholic Bible study. Our online study pages include additional questions, commentary, and prayers based on the psalm texts. Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers has been granted an imprimatur. A digital version of can be purchased from our website shop. Volume II covers psalms prayed at Vigils, Day Prayer, and Compline. If you have a Bible-related question or comment, click on one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons on any online study page.
about the psalms in this lesson**
During Ordinary Time, the monks at Conception Abbey pray the following psalms for Sunday First Vespers Week I: Psalms 141, classified as an individual or personal lament attributed to David; Psalm 142, another individual lament written by David; Psalm 119:105–112, a section from the longest psalm in the Bible, is classified as wisdom poetry by an unknown author. The remainder of the verses in Psalm 119 are prayed for Day Prayer Week II at Conception Abbey and are covered in Volume II of this study.
about the acrostic format in the psalms
In this lesson, Psalm 119:105–112 is considered a biblical example of acrostic poetry. Other acrostic psalms in this study include Psalm 111, Psalm 112, and Psalm 145; Psalm 25, Psalm 34, Psalm 37, and the remainder of Psalm 119 are covered in Volume II. Each acrostic psalm is structured to begin successive lines or verses with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This alphabetic pattern serves as both a mnemonic device for memorization and a way to express the completeness of the psalm’s theme. The most famous example is Psalm 119, in which each of the Hebrew alphabet’s 22 letters begins a section of eight verses. Most of these stanzas are prayed at Conception Abbey as part of Day Prayer during Week II and covered in Volume II, but Psalm 119:105–112 is prayed by the monks as part of Sunday First Vespers during Week I and covered in this lesson.
the letters of the Hebrew alphabet traditionally have spiritual meaning
While each stanza in Psalm 119 represents a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet, in the Jewish religious philosophy known as Kaballah, each letter traditionally is thought to represent spiritual meaning. In this lesson nunn (or nun), the Hebrew letter emphasized in Psalm 119:105–112, symbolizes faithfulness and humility.
a passage omitted from Liturgy of the Hours books
A difficulty for Christians who wish to incorporate the psalms into their prayers is that in some of these 
ancient hymns the Psalmists blatantly curse their enemies and ask the LORD to deal harshly with those enemies. This is disturbing enough that the editors compiling the four-week Liturgy of the Hours books chose to leave out a few problematic verses. Psalm 141:10 is omitted from current four-week Liturgy of the Hours books but prayed by the monks at Conception Abbey and included in this lesson and in Lesson 15 Let My Prayer Be As Incense). Consider why the editors of Liturgy of the Hours books might have felt that this verse shouldn’t be included in their collection of prayers.
all omissions are noted in this study
Omissions in the four-week Liturgy of the Hours books are addressed in Volume I and Volume II. For a complete list, click on this link, which includes a comparison of the two-week cursus (schedule) used at Conception Abbey and in both volumes of our study with the four-week Roman cursus followed by current Liturgy of the Hours books.
related reading
The Seventy Faces of Torah: The Jewish Way of Reading the Sacred Scriptures by Rabbi Stephen M. Wylen offers insight into the differences between how Christians 
and Jews read the Old Testament based on other of their sacred Scriptures. This means that while Christians have learned to see the Old Testament as pointing toward Jesus in the New Testament, Jews instead interpret the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) in light of their understanding of God’s law, which includes the Talmud and Mishna, two sacred Jewish works with which most Christians are unfamiliar. Other recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf. You also can find links to magisterial documents referred to in Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studiesat ex libris—magisterial documents. This page includes a listing of significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents.
a caution to think before we speak
The title of this lesson—”Set a Guard on My Mouth”—may give many people pause. The illustration was created by Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino, and it captures the idea that we need 
God’s help to avoid saying things that we later will regret. There are a variety of ways that we can misspeak. The most serious, of course, appears in the Ten Commandments—taking God’s name in vain. Lesson 13 Our Help Is in the Name of Our LORD for Friday Vespers Week I on page 56 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers, covers the Divine Praises, which were written in reparation for blasphemy and profane language. Everyone can think of many other ways in which we engage in harmful speech. It’s fitting that the prayers for Sunday First Vespers Week I focus our attention at the beginning of the week on the words that we allow to escape our lips. As each new week unfolds, it’s up to us to make wise choices regarding what we say about God and others—as well as what we say to God and others. In our prayer we can anticipate challenges we may face, and we can ask God to help us to maintain control over our words no matter what situations may arise in our lives. Click on Tami’s illustration to enlarge it. The illustration also is printed on page 9 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers.
David’s experience in the cave
Psalm 142 is credited to David when he was in the cave. This refers to an instance in the First Book of Samuel 24:1–22 in which David, hidden in a cave, refuses an opportunity to take Saul’s life in secret—even though at that time Saul was searching for David with the intent to kill him.
LORD, God, & Lord
The psalms refer to the deity in a variety of ways, often several different terms are used in the same psalm. It’s reasonable to expect readers to wonder why. In general LORD is used to refer to YHWH (sometimes spelled Yahweh); God is used to refer to Elohim; and Lord set in regular type is used to refer to Adonai. Small capital letters are used to write LORD and designate YHWH in Turning to God’s Word printed studies, but since this is not an option on the website, Turning to God’s Word materials there use all capital letters (LORD).
YHWH, Elohim, & Adonai
YHWH is the most sacred name of God, reserved for the one God of Israel. When God is identified as God in the more generic sense of deity, the word “Elohim” is used; it derives from a root likely having to do with strength. The word “Adonai” also is used to refer to God. This word, like the Greek kyrios and the Latin dominus, refers to a master in any sense. Lord set in regular type can refer to God, but it also can be used to describe people in positions of authority.
religious law—you could look it up in our archives
In Psalm 119, an unnamed Psalmist considers the decrees of the LORD his eternal heritage; he’s determined to obey them. To learn about the link between religious law and reality, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.
encountering Jesus Christ through Scripture
The psalms are personal prayers, so any Bible study based on these prayers necessarily is going to get personal. The questions in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers attempt to address several concerns about each psalm. First, what did the Psalmist have in mind when he composed his prayer? Second, what might Jesus have had in mind when he prayed the same words? Third, how do Christians interpret these ancient prayers? A final thing to consider is what these words mean to each of us as we’re praying.
what do you think should be the ultimate goal of Bible study?
The ultimate goal of this Bible study is to increase our individual understanding of what God is communicating to us through the psalms and what we wish to communicate back to God. Because of this, many of the questions ask us to consider the meaning of the psalms in the context of our own lives, but it’s still important to focus on the facts presented in the text.
? Who’s praying?
? What’s prompting their prayer?
? What’s going on historically at the time the psalm was written?
? What expectation does the Psalmist have regarding how God might respond?
? What can you learn about God from the particular psalm that you’re studying?
? How are your prayers like the prayers of the Psalmist?
? Are there any ways that your prayers differ?
? What motivates you to pray?
? What’s going on in your life?
? What expectations do you have about how God might respond to your prayer?
the popes inspire us—dealing with the temptation to speak evil
How do you handle temptations? “Evil Enticements” appears on page 8 in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers and addresses the attractive nature of sin. In this general audience, Pope St. John Paul II examines David’s indignant condemnation of evil in Psalm 141. The Holy Father points out that David’s hostility toward sin is paired with an absolute certainty that it’s God who will intervene in history to condemn injustice.
read the Catechism—do you know the precepts of the Church?
The psalms prayed for Sunday 1st Vespers Week I include a portion of Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Bible. In this elaborate prayer, an unidentified Psalmist praises God’s law and promises to uphold it. At the time Psalm 119 was written, the Torah was understood to contain all of the precepts of the law. The Torah also was viewed as a source of God’s blessing. In the present day, many people have difficulty accepting any type of authority or law as a source of blessing—even the God-given Ten Commandments. Sadly, a number of Catholics are unable even to name the precepts of the Church. If
you fall into this camp, you can find these precepts listed in paragraph 2042 and paragraph 2043 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The remaining verses of Psalm 119 form the basis for a week’s worth of midday prayers covered in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline.
2042 The first precept (“You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor”) requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principal liturgical feasts honoring the mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints; in the first place, by participating in the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered, and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days.
The second precept (“You shall confess your sins at least once a year”) ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation, which continues Baptism’s work of conversion and forgiveness.
The third precept (“You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season”) guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.
2043 The fourth precept (“You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church”) ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts and help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.
The fifth precept (“You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church”) means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability.
write your own psalm
An underlying theme in the psalms is the idea of singing a new song to God. It’s this idea that suggested the title for our Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. If you’d like to offer God a new type of prayer, you might want to consider trying your hand at writing a psalm of your own. You can find some suggestions on the back page in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. Keep in mind that your prayer only will be new if you tell God something that he doesn’t usually hear from you.
ex libris—the Abbot Primate shares his thoughts on the psalms
Gregory Polan, O.S.B., recent abbot primate of the worldwide Benedictine Confederation, was lead translator of The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, the English translation upon which our Turning to God’s Word two-part Bible study of the psalms is based. Prepared by the monks at Conception Abbey and published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is a slight revision of the monks’ 2010 translation of The Revised Grail Psalms. Abbot Polan is the author of The Psalms: Songs of Faith and Praise, a work that contains commentary and prayers as well as the Abbey’s complete translation of the psalms. In addition, Abbot Polan wrote a gracious foreword to this Turning to God’s Word study; that foreword can be found at the beginning of Volumes I and II.
ex libris—two insightful papal commentaries on the psalms
Psalms & Canticles: Meditations and Catechesis on the Psalms and Canticles of Morning Prayer is a collection of reflections on the texts of the prayers at Lauds. These originally were delivered as part of Pope St. John Paul II’s Wednesday audiences. In another volume, Psalms & Canticles: Meditations and Catechesis on the Psalms and Canticles of Evening Prayer, Pope Benedict XVI continued the practice to include the biblical texts prayed at Vespers.
ex libris—we recommend other books as well
To learn about more books related to the psalms, visit ex libris—main bookshelf. There you can read a brief review of the books that we like as well as short excerpts from them. If you want to judge the book by its cover, you can see a thumbnail of that. People especially interested in the theological virtues, which are emphasized throughout the psalms, might like Faith Hope Love by Josef Pieper. The author’s academic discipline is philosophy rather than theology, and he uses language to narrow the definition of these three concepts and bring them into sharper focus for Catholics.
Q&A—three questions about Bible translations
We’re frequently asked what translation of the Bible is best. Sometimes we’re asked which translation is approved to be read at Catholic Masses. More infrequently we’re asked why we’ve chosen to reprint the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) for the biblical text in our printed studies.
Q1: Which translation of the Bible is the best one for Catholics to read?
A2: As far as which translation is best, we maintain that reading any translation of the Bible you have on hand is a great place to start. The old adage “every translator is a traitor” certainly applies to Scripture, but God’s basic message to his people can be found in any Bible. While there are English-language Bibles catering to a variety of special-interest Catholic groups, they generally reprint either a translation of the New American Bible Revised Edition (the NABRE) or a Catholic edition of the Revised Standard Version (the RSVCE or the RSV2CE), which are the Bibles read by most American Catholics. Both of these translations rely on archeological finds and scholarship that were unavailable in earlier centuries. Before the mid-1960s, many Catholics were familiar with the Douay-Rheims English translation, which was based on the Latin Vulgate. Originally translated by St. Jerome in the late 4th century, a version of the Vulgate has remained the official Latin translation of the Catholic Church since the 16th century. Before the mid-1960s, most Protestants read The King James Version.
As people become more interested in Scripture study, they also become more interested in reading the “right” Bible. Since very few of us are proficient in ancient languages, we’re forced to rely on the work of scholars who’ve spent years studying Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, and Latin. In many cases, there simply isn’t an easy way to translate some of the original words and phrases of Scripture into English. The best advice we can offer is to choose an English translation that the Church has approved. The United States Conference of Catholic 
Bishops (USCCB) offers guidelines. When questions arise, as they undoubtedly will, check out footnotes, commentaries, and other translations; talk to a knowledgeable priest; and—this part is most important—ask God to grant you increased understanding. You also can email us with your questions about Scripture. In many cases, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps’ background in classical languages proves helpful. We frequently rely on him to shed some light on the linguistics involved in difficult passages.
Q2: I’m having trouble locating the same Bible that I hear read at Mass. What translation is that?
A2: The Catholic Lectionary, a collection of biblical texts approved for liturgical use, isn’t the same as a Bible. The English-language lectionary used in the United States is primarily based on a 1970 translation. A close English translation outside the lectionary is the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE).
Q3: Why has Turning to God’s Word chosen to reprint biblical text from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) instead of the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)?
A3: We currently use the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) as our primary biblical translation in our printed studies because scholars consider it to be a more faithful word-for-word translation than many other translations. Pope Benedict XVI quotes from the RSV2CE in his three-volume book, Jesus of Nazareth. The RSVCE is the Bible translation used in English translations of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The RSV2CE varies only slightly from the earlier RSVCE, which we link to on our online study pages. Any discrepancies between the RSV2CE and the RSVCE are pointed out on the online study pages. Turning to God’s Word cites The Abbey Psalms and Canticles in references to the psalms in all of our printed studies.
a translation difference related to death
Psalm 141:7 in The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is translated: “As clods of earth plowed up on the ground, so their bones were strewn at the mouth of Sheol.” The Revised Grail Psalms, upon which The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is based, translates the same verse: “As clods of earth plowed up on the ground, so their bones were strewn at the mouth of the grave.” The word “Sheol” refers to the Hebrew abode of the dead, a place that is similar to the Greek Hades. Although sometimes thought to be synonymous with the Christian idea of hell, neither Hades nor Sheol were considered places of punishment. Editors at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) may have made this change from “the grave” to “Sheol” in order to reflect Hebrew thinking at the time Psalm 141 was written. Can you think of a different reason? (Note that it is not possible to link to either The Abbey Psalms and Canticles or The Revised Grail Psalms; all links on the online pages are to the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE])
a translation difference: the upright vs. a good man & the just
Psalm 141:5 in The Abbey Psalms and Canticles is translated: “If the upright strike me it is kindness,” and Psalm 142:8 (Psalm 142:7 in Revised Standard Version Catholic editions) is translated: “Around me the upright will assemble.” The Revised Grail Psalms translates the same verses: “If a good man strikes me it is kindness,” and “Around me the just will assemble.” It appears that USCCB editors decided to substitute “upright” or some variation of that word most—but not all—of the time that the original translators of The Revised Grail Psalms chose “justice” or some similar word. Why do you think that might be? (Note also that there is a difference between the plural “upright” used in The Abbey Psalms and Canticles and the singular “good man” used in The Revised Grail Psalms translation of Psalm 141.)
the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by passages in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including Psalm 141 and Psalm 142 in this lesson.
Psalm 119:105—paragraph 141
don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.
ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.
memorize a favorite Bible verse (4:48)
Turning to God’s Word co-founder Tami Palladino has created a short video about the benefits of memorizing Bible verses. Choosing a passage that you find particularly meaningful will make the task easier. There are inspiring verses in every book of the Bible, but some people in our Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible studies like to memorize a verse from their lesson every week. For more ideas, check out Tami’s video, Why Memorize Scripture? It’s less than five minutes long.
wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following links are to readings from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open one of the links and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV readings provide an audio guide to pronunciation of many words in this lesson’s primary biblical texts. A close online version of the translation of the Bible currently used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Psalm 141 (NIV)
Psalm 142 (NIV)
Psalm 119 (NIV)
close with a psalms-based prayer for Sunday 1st Vespers (Week I)
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can pray using any of the psalms in this lesson, or you can use the following short prayer.
O God, you are the refuge of all who call on you.
Respond in mercy to those who seek your protection.
Grant that we may show as much respect
in the words that we say about others and to them
as we do in the words that we use in prayer.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
the Word you sent to give your faithful people life. Amen.
Lesson 2 O God, at Dawn I Seek You, Sunday Lauds (Week I)—Psalm 63, Psalm 93, and Psalm 149
Lesson 28 The Just One Will Flourish, Saturday Lauds (Week II)—Psalm 92 and Psalm 135
you also may like our study of the book of Genesis
The first seven lessons of In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provide an in-depth look at the very earliest biblical history—including the two accounts of Creation, events surrounding the Fall of Adam and Eve, the relationship between Cain and Abel, and the baptismal foreshadowing present in the account of Noah and the Flood. Remaining lessons look at lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.
start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. 
More information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found on this website at start a Bible study, and Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions or discuss concerns. Contact us to start this or one of our other studies or to have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer
*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—Baruch, Judith, Sirach, Tobit, Wisdom, and First and Second Maccabees—and there are some deuterocanonical passages in the Books of Daniel and Esther. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. Deuterocanonical means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?
**You can learn more about the psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church. The first volume covers psalms prayed at Lauds and Vespers; the second covers psalms prayed at Vigils, Day Prayer, and Compline. Numbering of psalms and verses may vary in different translations.
Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.
The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces these with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.
Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book.